the play's the thing

This is a quite good and enjoyable film, well acted. But the original Ayckbourn play is excellent and the film would have been better if it had stuck closer to the play. Some material in the play can be lost relatively painlessly, and some abridgement is necessary if it isn't to be a very long film, but the film we see is notably weakened by the slightly 'Hollywood' ending. The ending of the play is far better, both funnier and darker.